


Cantor Erest High

by LukaTheSelkie



Category: Original Work
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-26
Updated: 2017-09-06
Packaged: 2018-11-19 12:48:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 19,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11313729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LukaTheSelkie/pseuds/LukaTheSelkie
Summary: Because Tumblr prompts are amazing. Everyone is born with a soulmate and after you turn sixteen, every bruise, scar, cut, mark, scrape that is inflicted on them, appears on your body and vice versa.Neo is cute and fun loving, but will he surpass the challenges given to him?Uro is laid back and enchanting, but what secret ideas does he hold?Chisk is quiet and calm, but what haunts him day and night?Yaibu is concerned and nervous, but is there a chance he will get over his anxiety?Also the title is the name of mentioned school. It's the continent's name followed by the town they live in. All of the schools are that way, followed by Elementary, Jr High, High, or College, in case you were wondering. Only some towns have Jr Highs or Colleges.





	1. Excitement

    Neomumpos has never been interested in dating. He doesn't even know what gender he likes. Others in his grade think he is crazy, but the upperclassmen praise him all the time. To them, finding their soulmate meant so much more than dating for attraction. Neo always dreamed of finding the one, and now he is insanely excited for his sixteenth birthday in a day. It can't come fast enough!

    For as long as he can remember, his mother has always told him about how special everyone on the fairly new, manmade continent is. Her parents were some of the first inhabitants of the continent, which was originally designed to be almost the size of Australia, but the workers quickly realized they only needed one thousandth of the space (about 7,687 square Kilometers). The continent was created to help those who had a very special gift. On his or her's sixteenth birthday, each person with this gift would have his or her's soulmate's every bruise, scar, cut, mark, or scrape in the same spot on his or her body, and vice versa. The continent is meant to help each of these gifted people find his or her soulmate more easily. Neo took the bond between him and his soulmate very seriously, and vowed to never look at anyone but him or her.

    Uro, his best friend, comes up behind him. "Dude, you're so lucky your birthday is on a weekend! I would have killed for my birthday to have been on a Saturday, or even a Sunday! What are your plans?" Neo rolls his eyes.

    "Of course you're coming over. We can look at everything together, like we did on your birthday. And honestly I'd rather have my birthday on a Monday like you did, because then I could search for him or her as soon as possible." Uro shakes his head.

    "You're crazy. The weekend gives you more time to search in other places. You know it's not going to be anyone here. As much as your soulmate means to you now, they must have the same feelings for you. The only ones like that here are Chisk and Yaibu, who are likely to be soulmates, in my opinion. Speak of the devils." He points, and there, a few feet away, are said teenage boys, chattering away happily to each other.

    "Uro, don't. All you've done since figuring out that your soulmate once had a thing for him is bully him. She's with you now, so you needn't worry about him anymore." Of course, Uro never listens. Neo sighs and follows him to the two, trying to pull him away.

    "Yaibu! Have you stolen anymore soulmates, or is it still just mine?" He glares fiercely at the smaller boy, who looks up in shock, holding a couple pieces of paper close to his chest. "What's this? Love notes from someone?" He yanks the paper from him and immediately tears it into a thousand tiny pieces. Chisk gasps softly, and steps in front of his friend.

    "You idiot! You just tore up something very important to me! I spent a week writing that! I was just letting my best friend read it!" Uro's confident look falters for only a moment, before he is snapping back.

    "It took you a week to write two pages? How pathetic. I can write two pages in about an hour." Chisk starts to shake with anger.

    "I thought very carefully on my word choice! Everything had to be perfect, and you went and ruined it!" Despite their mass difference, Chisk is suddenly flinging himself at Uro, forcing Neo to step out of the way. He opens his mouth to protest, but Uro already has the tiny boy pinned to the ground, punching furiously at his torso. Neo grabs for Uro's wrist, nearly getting hit by his elbow. The moment his fingers wrap around his friend's large wrist, he stops. Uro looks up at him guiltily, removing himself from the boy.

    "You really are an idiot." He says icily, shoving him away harshly. Of course the initial push doesn't do anything, since he is the smallest boy in school, followed by Chisk and then Yaibu, but Uro stumbles back anyway, knowing his friend's wrath is nothing to underestimate. Neo kneels next to Chisk, smiling apologetically at him. "I am so sorry for him. You know how jocks are, they think they can get away with anything without consequences. I thought I taught him better, but I was wrong. He will be punished accordingly. Please do tell me if he ever bothers one of you again when I am not around." He pulls Chisk up slowly, careful not to hurt him anymore.

    "Thank you," he mumbles shyly, as Yaibu looks him over for the damage. Neo smiles sweetly at him before turning around and punching Uro in the gut, hard. The football player nearly falls and gasps out for air. Neo glares at the taller boy furiously before dealing another blow that knocks him to the floor this time.

    "Idiot! I've told you a million times not to bully poor Yaibu! At least you had a lame excuse! You have no reason to ever touch Chisk, and you know that! What on Earth overcame you? Yes he launched himself at you, but writers are like that! Remember how we met?!" Uro picks himself up and bows his head. "Apologize to them!"

    "I'm sorry for starting anything. I shouldn't have and I know it." He bows his head even more. "I'm a terrible person and I know it. Neomumpos will make sure I get what I deserve when we leave to go home." Uro glances at Neo, knowing what a risk it is to state his full name, seeing as he absolutely hates it. Neo glares at him, punches him harshly again, knocking him to the floor quickly, and takes off for the buses home. Chisk and Yaibu stare after him, awed by how the smallest boy in school could floor the most popular football player in their grade.


	2. Birthday

    Neo wakes up early the next morning to Uro shaking him gently. "Happy birthday!" He sits up and rubs his eyes, blinking in the morning light.  
    "Uro! Did Mom let you in before she went to work?" He giggles at the serious nod he receives as a response. "And Dad is already gone, so we have the whole entire house to ourselves!" He hops out of bed, quickly grabbing the brush from his night stand and pulling it through his messy, shoulder length mahogany hair. He smiles softly at his reflection, winking with one of his ocean blue eyes, then turns to Uro, taking in his short black hair and hazel eyes. "I like your eyes better than mine." He pouts.  
    "Whatever for? Your eyes are beautiful, Neo! You know that." Neo crosses his arms defiantly. Uro sighs, sitting on the stool next to him, cramping them together. "Hey. Just because my eyes change with the light and yours don't doesn't mean they aren't any less special. You have the most unique eyes in school." This causes the smaller boy to blush, and he pushes his friend to the ground. They look at each other for a moment before they burst out laughing. "So, let's check out your soulmate's every wound."  
    "I hope there isn't too many." He bows his head. "Because then that would mean..." Uro places his hand on Neo's shoulder.  
    "At least you can get him or her away from the abuse or bullying if that is the case. You're very strong and feisty for how small you are." Neo nods softly, but still doesn't look convinced. "I'm sure of it. You can do anything you put your mind to." The smaller boy nods softly, smiling ever so slightly. "See? There's the Neo I know and everyone loves!" He flushes, ears turning pink.  
    "I wouldn't say everyone loves me." Without waiting for a response, he strips to his boxers and gasps softly. "U-Uro... Do you see them too?" His eyes fill with tears as he looks down at his body, littered with bruises and scars that aren't his. He turns to look in his mirror and better see them. He raises a hand to his chest, where a particularly large bruise lay. He sighs in slight relief when he feels no pain. "I can only imagine the agony he or she must be feeling. I can't feel the pain, but it makes me wonder." He looks at Uro sadly.  
    "I know," he says softly. "And whoever does this to him or her, carefully chooses his or her places. None of them were visible while you were wearing your tank top and shorts." Neo nods softly, not wanting to voice his thoughts. Thankfully, Uro beats him to it. "So it is abuse. Neo, I'm not sure this is something you can help with. I know I said you could, but this looks like home abuse." The smaller boy nods once again, swallowing around the lump in his throat.  
    "I want to get him or her out of there. I can try. I will try as hard as I can. I have the bruises to prove somebody is doing it. Now I just need proof that it is home abuse." He looks in the mirror confidently, making a promise to himself, and his soulmate, to make everything better.  
    "That's a wonderful idea Neo. You're just forgetting one thing." The smaller boy looks up at him in confusion. "You have no idea who it is. It could take forever!" Neo's shoulders droop at Uro's words. He was right. Of course he was right. Why couldn't the gift tell him a name as well? He groans in frustration.  
    "Uro! Here!" He shoves a marker at the taller, more muscular boy. Before he can ask what it is for, Neo explains quietly; "Write something to your soulmate with it. I want to see if it shows up on her. I have no idea if my soulmate's birthday has passed yet, so there's no other way for me to know right away." Uro nods and thinks for a moment.  
    "Hello, my love," he reads out as he writes it on his forearm. A moment later his phone dings with a text message. He pulls it out of his pocket, watching Neo's face light up hopefully. He reads the text in a monotone voice. "'A, why are you up this early? B, why are you writing on your arm?'" The smaller boy does a little triumphant dance around his room as Uro responds. 'Neo's birthday. He was wondering if marker worked with the gift. It does.' Not even a second later, there's another ding. He laughs and reads it back to his friend. "'Tell Neo I said happy birthday, then!' And she put a ton of balloons and smiley face emojis, some upside down and some with party hats. There's even one blowing into a noisemaker!" They both laugh happily, just for a moment.  
    "Uro? Do you think... He or she actually might go to our school?" The larger boy thinks for a moment.  
    "There might be a possibility." He looks at the marker he is holding and hands it to Neo. "Why don't you ask?" Neo shakes his head, but does write a small message, on his forearm as well. Uro rolls his eyes. "I don't think 'Hi' is going to get you anything." He watches in amusement as the smaller boy writes, in tiny text, 'We can use marker to communicate' and as his face lights up hopefully. "Neo, he or she probably isn't even awake yet. You can check back later." He nods softly, walking over to his closet to look for clothes, and dresses quickly.  
    "What do you want to do today?" He raises a brow curiously. "Sky dive? Rock climb? Cliff descent? Other things I'm going to say no to?" Uro shakes his head, pulling something from his pocket.  
    "I thought we might go see that orchestra. I know how much you've been wanting to go." Neo's eyes light up and he lunges forward, squeezing Uro tightly.  
    "Thank you thank you thank you! You're the bestest friend I could have ever asked for!"  
    "You're welcome, Neo. Though you should have known I would choose an activity you would enjoy. Now come on, it starts soon." And with that, the two are crashing around the room, looking for impressive clothes to wear.


	3. Group

    A week and a Thursday after his birthday, Neo has a normal bi-weekly band practice, but Uro, who usually stays with him, has a meal with his team, so they separate right after school. Neo pulls out his flute gently, putting the three pieces together and positioning the head joint just right for maximum sound. He laughs quietly to himself at the very obvious misplacement of the foot joint and fixes that as well, the buttons no longer on the bottom. He runs a cleaning cloth along the metal, smiling softly. Yaibu, one of his fellow flutes, rolls his eyes. "Neo, sometimes I think you pay too much attention to your instrument."  
    "Maybe so. But I love making it shiny and perfect. It's so pretty." He smiles brightly at the other. "Besides, Chisk does the same thing with his Saxophone. And it's a larger instrument!" He giggles softly, the other teen walking into the room from a clothes change. "Chisk!" He jogs over and raises a brow in question. "Tell Yaibu he just doesn't understand our need for pretty instruments!" He chuckles.  
    "Why would he? He doesn't exactly have our passion about shiny things." They laugh together, Yaibu frowning light heartedly at them. "We'll make you understand, one day." He winks playfully at the doubtful flute. He rolls his eyes as he collects his flip folder, tossing Neo's at him. "How do you guys wear those things? I've seen the marks they make." Neo shivers lightly.  
    "That's exactly why I pass the tests off as soon as possible. I have to have mine extra tight too, because of where I place it. Lucky Yaibu here can see it pretty much anywhere. I can only see it in the crook of my arm." He pulls a face. Both of his onlookers laugh loudly. "Hey! It's not funny!"  
    "Of course not." Yaibu manages, snorting quietly not even a second later. Neo crosses his arms awkwardly, as he still has hold of his flute. This causes Chisk to snort as well, and Neo huffs. Yaibu turns to his best friend. "Hey, it's hard to do anything with both hands while holding one of these. At least you get a neck strap so you can do anything you want with your hands!"  
    "That is very true. And my arms don't have to suffer from those flip folders or from holding my instrument parallel to the ground. Honestly, how do you guys do it?" Now it's Neo's turn to snort.  
    "With talent!" He states proudly.  
    "Says the one who kept angling it up last year."  
    "At least I was close! You had the hardest time keeping it up! I told you and told you you should hold it out straight while you practiced. It was starting to show when we played in class. Then you come for marching band and you practiced tilted down so much over the summer that you got used to it." Yaibu shoves him lightly, playing with him.  
    "Yeah well you're an overachiever, Mr. seven pages on a two page minimum essay." Neo blushes and bows his head.  
    "You know about that?" Yaibu rolls his eyes and nods.  
    "Half the grade knows. They're all really jealous, you know. You're an amazing writer."  
    "Not everyone is jealous. I wrote quite a few pages myself."  
    "Aww man! Why are you two leaving me behind? How many?" Chisk rolls his eyes.  
    "We are not leaving you behind. You can write that many pages, you just choose not to. It wasn't seven pages, but it was five." He smiles sheepishly. Neo high fives him.  
    "Yeah! Overachievers rock!" Yaibu snorts, nearly choking himself.  
    "Rock? Is that what you would call it? You're strange, both of you. I'd call it extra work you didn't need to do." Neo huffs, crossing his arms, over his flute this time.  
    "Calm down, Neo. He just doesn't understand that it was needed, otherwise the paper wouldn't have the entire text included in it."  
    "Exactly! I had the minimum amount of pages by the time I was finished writing about act one."  
    "How in the heck? Is there really that much characterization for Samuel Parris? I should have done him!"  
    "And be out shined by Neo here? You're better off with John Proctor. That's who you did, right?" He nods. "I chose Abigail. She's misunderstood. A bitch, but misunderstood. She was a typical teenager. Overcome with lust, yes, but she had reason to claim witchcraft. The other girls I have no explanation for, other than they were starved for attention." His two flute listeners let out soft laughs.  
    "You should have done John Hale. You would have gotten more pages than I did." Neo smiles softly at him. For a moment, it is only the two in the room, as Chisk focuses on his soft, gentle features. His heart beat quickens, but the moment is gone as quickly as it came. He shakes his head slightly, pretending to be flipping his long blonde hair out of his forest green eyes. He pulls the strands back, flicking the hairband over his wrist and into his locks.  
    "Who else isn't looking forward to this practice? It's like a million degrees outside." Neo laughs at his words, pulling his own, shorter hair up.  
    "I am not looking forward to it at all! Uro isn't here to keep me from gazing into nothingness and day dreaming when I'm sitting. I usually don't hear the whistle to go back to the field, and it's embarrassing when I'm the only one on the sidelines after our breaks. It's even more embarrassing she has the largest person lift me and toss me over his shoulder, grabbing my flute and placing me in my spot." He groans softly. Chisk nearly chokes on the sip of water he had just gotten.  
    "What? I miss one practice and all of that happens?"  
    "Hey!" Neo shoves his shoulder harshly, but doesn't manage to move him even the slightest bit. He huffs, clearly upset.  
    "Sorry, sorry. I'm sure it was embarrassing. Yaibu and I will keep you company today." Neo's eyes light up.  
    "Really?!" He bounces excitedly, wrestling with his arm for a moment to put the flip folder on, and leads the other two out to the practice field happily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> True story with those dang flip folders! I hate them!


	4. Talking

    That night, Neo decides to try again with the marker tactic. The previous greeting had just washed off the night before, and he is eager to see if a darker mark might be more noticeable than the light one he had been sporting for a week. He pops the cap off of the marker, and writes on his forearm once again, trying to steady his hand. 'Hi' he writes slowly, carefully. Instead of staring at his arm, waiting for a reply that may or may not come, he turns on some music, humming softly to the beat. He gasps when he glances at his arm, and a new word has appeared. He quickly grabs the marker, ready to respond. 'Hello' stares back at him.  
    He takes a moment to think on what to ask his soulmate first. 'Are you a he or a she?' He writes out nervously, unsure if he is being too forward. 'A he. Why?' comes the response. He laughs a little. 'I don't care, honest. It's just when I'm talking to my friends about you I always say 'he or she'. Now I know. Thank you.' He waits with batted breath for the response. 'No worries! My friends and I have the same problem! Are you a he or a she?' He takes a soft breath, writing out a cursive, tiny, 'He' before releasing his breath.  
    'Oh thank goodness! I'm not really one for relationships because of the gift, but I figured out today I may be attracted to guys.' He chuckles. 'Oh really? What makes you think that?' He watches the words appear slowly, unsurly. 'Well... I was talking to a friend today, and when he smiled at me it was as if it were only the two of us in the room, and my heart rate picked up.' He smiled softly at the response. 'How odd! Did it happen with anyone else?' He bites his lip nervously, wondering if he pushed the boundaries. 'Actually, yes! Just not nearly as strong. It was like we had a large bond between each other.' A pause. Before he can write back, more words start to appear.  
    'Maybe it's you! I would like to keep my identity hidden, but I can tell you what school I go to?' He frowns softly. 'I understand why you might be concerned about keeping your identity secret, but I promise I don't hate anyone.' A smiley face is drawn on his soulmate's arm. He laughs as more words appear. 'Oh, I guess it's okay then! But I want to make it a quest. If we do go to the same school, Cantor Erest High, then I'm going to send you on a scavenger hunt!' He beams at the words. 'Of course! Yeah, I do go there. My friend was sure we wouldn't go to the same school. Haha to him. Anyway, how about we wash the ink off our arms before we continue?' He looks at his arm, the entire thing full of words. He laughs at the responding 'Oh, yes!' and hurries into the bathroom the wash his ink away.  
    A few minutes and two red arms later, Neo plops back down on his bed. 'Hey, do you have an invisible ink pen? It may or may not work, but I'd like to try.' He flips his spy pen, grabbing it from the sky before it can hit anything. 'Oh, yes! Here, let me see...' There's a circle under the spot, and he shines the mini UV light over it. He laughs at the small 'Hi there!' in the incomplete circle. He writes back quickly, in the marker, 'It works! Now we just need to write small, for our benefit. I do not want to wash that ink off.' He smiles at the 'Ha, yes! I'll write the clue in invisible ink!' He rolls his eyes. 'How suiting' he quickly writes back, laughing at the drawn emoji with its tongue sticking out that appears a moment later. He waits a minute before shining the UV light over his arm, looking for new writing. He quickly spots it.  
    'In one of the many locker rooms throughout the school, you will find a small note taped to the bottom of one of the stall doors. This note will give you a clue, and possibly a letter. There are ten notes in all, but only five letters. These letters will be scrambled. Once you have figured everything out, come find me.' He smiles softly, copying down the instructions on his own paper. 'Anything else I need to know?' He raises a brow as more words start to form before he can turn the light off. 'If you fail to do it all in one day, then I will change each location, but keep the order of the letters so you cannot figure out my name without every note in a day.' He laughs. Of course, a challenge. 'Accepted. I'm guessing if I fail, you will give me the first clue however many times it takes?' He smiles brightly at the small 'Of course~' forming on his arm.  
    His cell phone dings, his nightly question from Uro about the progress of finding his soulmate. 'Dude, made any progress? Or is he or she still not responding? I bet he or she hasn't had his or her birthday yet! Ours are kind of early into the school year.' He rolls his eyes. 'Uro, I got an answer tonight! He's really sweet, it seems. I think I really really like him.' A moment later, he gets a response. 'He eh? I'm glad he seems sweet. You need someone like that.' He furrows his brows. 'What do you mean???' He stares at the screen, waiting for the answer. 'Just that you need someone to spoil, and someone who will spoil you.' He rolls his eyes.  
    'My best friend thinks we're going to spoil each other once we are together. How ridiculous is that?' He writes on his arm in the invisible ink, eagerly awaiting the reply. 'Really? That's interesting. I was thinking more of I need someone to love, and someone who will love me.' He beams at the response. 'Right? That's what I was thinking too! We really are soulmates!' He chuckles softly at the 'But of course~ Now, I'm tired, so goodnight' before writing his own goodnight greeting and laying in bed, excited for the next day.


	5. The First Note

    "Uro!" He waves his best friend down, beaming at him. He jogs over and gives Neo a questioning look. "I'm going on a scavenger hunt to find out who he is. He said there are ten notes, with five letters. If I fail today, he will give me another clue Monday, and place the notes in different places. I have my first clue here." He hands him the slip of paper, impatiently waiting for him to read it.  
    "Which one do you think it's in?" Neo bounces excitedly.  
    "I figured it would probably be one no one uses much. Like the one furthest away from the gym." Uro nods thoughtfully.  
    "Probably. You should check there first. You have gym first period right? The locker room is being fixed so it's the perfect opportunity to go to that one. They let us use whichever locker room we want." Neo smiles brightly at him, giving him a quick hug.  
    "Thanks! You're the best!" The bell rings for first period, and he makes his way to the isolated locker room, a bit earlier than he would usually go to dress. What he isn't expecting is for someone to be there. Chisk smiles sweetly at him, eyes questioning his appearance in the room.  
    "Hello Neo. I've not seen you in here before." Neo laughs lightly, a bit nervous. He takes in the slightly damp clothes clinging to Chisk, and the small towel wrapped up in one of his hands, which had just been ruffling his long hair.  
    "I would think not. The gym's locker room is under a constructive repair, and I'm self conscious. I usually change in one of the stalls, but I thought it would be easier to come here. You run a mile every morning, don't you?" The slightly larger boy nods, taking a step closer to Neo. His scent invades his space, making him slightly dizzy from the sudden strength.  
    "You have no reason to be self conscious," he mumbles quietly, and Neo vaguely wonders how he got next to his ear so quickly. He feels his heart rate pick up and closes his eyes involuntarily. A chuckle resonates through his body. "You act like I'm going to eat you. You're more likely to eat me, if I'm being honest. You floored Uro with a single punch two weeks ago. And that's exactly why you shouldn't be self conscious. You are stronger than you think." For a fleeting moment, Neo feels something brush against his chest, but it is gone less than a second later.  
    Chisk steps away, and Neo opens his eyes. The larger boy is shuffling through his backpack, evidently looking for something. He watches curiously until a large but delicate hand pulls out a brush. He runs it through his hair, humming softly. Neo watches water drip from his hair onto his shirt, mesmerized. He shakes his head lightly, placing his own backpack down on the bench and shuffling through it for his gym clothes. He laughs at his flute, which he had somehow managed to stuff in there and then forget where it was. "I forgot I put this here!" He pulls it out gently, making sure not to rip his bag, and places it on the bench.  
    "Oh, yes. You shoved it in your bag when you were late leaving the practice field yesterday." Chisk chuckles lightly. "I didn't think you would remember it was there. You were in a hurry." He bumps their shoulders lightly, the small touch sending a shock through them both. He places his brush down, grabbing Neo's flute carefully. He opens the case gently, looking down at the three pieces. Neo whines in his ear, but he doesn't pay any attention.  
    "Give it back!" He whines, but quickly realizes Chisk is staring at it intently. He grabs his clothes and creeps over to the stalls, pretending to look under them for feet when really he is just looking for a note. He finds it under the door to the largest one, glances back at the entranced Chisk, then pulls it off, sticking it in his gym shorts' pocket. He goes into the stall and changes into his gym clothes quickly, popping back out feeling much lighter. He pulls his flute from the larger boy's grasp gently. He shakes his head lightly and looks at Neo as he is packing his bag.  
    "It's beautiful, you know." He smiles softly, watching the other's cheeks turn a light shade of red.  
    "Thank you," he breathes out shyly, bowing his head. The warning bell rings at that moment. "Oh! I should go! Goodbye! It was nice the see you here!" Chisk laughs and bumps against him once again.  
    "You should come here more often. I take a shower here before first period every morning. My mile run usually turns into two, and that sometimes turns into three, so I need the shower." Neo laughs loudly at that, then runs out the door, shouting another goodbye. To confirm his suspicions, Chisk strolls over to the bathroom stalls, smiling slightly when he notices the note is gone. "Your flute may be beautiful, but it cannot compare to your beauty." He whispers to the empty room, staring at the door Neo had just gone through a few moments ago. He turns and lays on the bench, deciding he can skip one session of his online class to catch up on sleep. The night before had been rough, seeing as his father had come home for the weekend a bit too early for it to be good news. He sighs softly, closing his eyes and groaning at the sensation of forming bruises. "What will Neo think when he sees the new bruises?"  
    Uro nearly bowls Neo over when he walks into the gym "Dude! You got it, right?" The smaller boy nods and pulls the note from his shorts. The larger boy beams and takes it from him, too excited to wait. The smaller boy whines, but Uro doesn't listen. "'This clue does not have a letter, but the next will. You can find it hidden outside, flying discreetly in the air. I would not sew it into a national flag, but perhaps you should try the odd color guard flag.' Dude, how impossible is he trying to make this?" Neo shakes his head, unsure. Chisk is still heavy in his mind.


	6. The Second Note

    "Why did I agree to do this?" Uro grumbles as he attempts to make his way out to the band practice field during his second period. He is supposed to be in the library for a free period, but Neo had asked the entirety of first period if he would get the second note before going to the library. He had eventually said yes, because as they walked out the door of the gym, he had looked so sad. Uro groans softly. Why did he have to fall for that?  
    For the moment, he is fine to walk in the open. The late bell hasn't rang yet, so many students mile about for as long as they can. He makes his way as quickly as he can without seeming rushed toward the opposite side of the school. He pulls a displeased face as the late bell rings and everyone roaming darts into his or her classroom. He sighs softly, wondering why the gym had to be the furthest away from the band's practice field. He walks nonchalantly into the nearest bathroom. He climbs up onto one of the toilets in a stall, locking the door just in case and waiting while the teachers do their quick inspection of the halls to make sure no students are skipping. Of course, it's not Uro's first time so called skipping, so he had put an 'Out of order' sign on the outside of the door before stepping in. They always check the stalls. Unless they are out of order. He supposes they don't care if a student is dedicated enough to crawl under.  
    He listens carefully as a teacher come in and checks each stall, opening them carefully. He lets out a satisfied grunt and leaves the bathroom, without ever touching Uro's stall. He smiles triumphantly, but waits another few minutes before moving. He pulls out his phone, checks the time, and puts on some music, waiting for five minutes to pass. Just as he's about to leave, he hears two teachers talking. He waits another five minutes for good measure, hoping that is enough time for every teacher to go back into his or her classroom. Why were they still out after five minutes anyway?  
    He peeks his head out of the stall carefully, sighing in temporary relief when he sees no one. He slips out carefully, making sure the door closes quietly behind him, grabbing the sign for later use. He peers around the opening that could perhaps be considered a large door to see if there are any teachers waiting for him. He sighs in relief once again, noting the halls are empty. Still, he better be careful. He walks against the walls, making sure to duck for every single classroom window, so much that he is practically crouching the entire time he is walking to the opposite side of the school.  
    Eventually he makes his way there, no run ins with any teachers just yet. He runs across the hall, fewer classroom to worry bout here. He slips into the band hallway unnoticed and lets out a puff of air he hadn't realized he had been holding in. He groans and bangs his head against the door. How had he forgotten the classroom wouldn't be unlocked until the fourth and final period of the day? That's when the teacher showed up! But of course, it has to be the closest exit to the field. He groans and goes around, using the side door and propping it open with a rock to make his way to the practice field.  
    "Finally!" He rasps out, darting across the practice field to where the color guard keep their flags; inside a small shed. He heaves the flags out, quickly spotting one without tape around the pole keeping the flag on, and with a vastly different pattern on it. It is a patterned tie-dye rainbow, with dark purple and blue lotus flowers, two each, in a proportionate, black sectioned square, each flower resting perfectly in the middle of a section. He laughs and rolls his eyes, inspecting the flag for anything. Thankfully the note isn't sewn into the fabric like the clue had suggested, but just taped to the opposite side of the flowers; this side is just the rainbow. He pulls out his phone in triumph, ready to tell his best friend.  
    'You owe me, Neo. I got your dang note.' He sends quickly, darting out of plain sight just in case a teacher happens to pass by and see him. His phone vibrates a moment later; 'Yay! What does it say, what does it say?' He rolls his eyes, unfolding the note. 'Yeesh, calm down! It says 'Keep the flag, it's something I made specific for this occasion. Leave the pole though. Your first letter is K. I'm sure my little hunt has landed you in the principal's office. If not then you are stealthy, and you will have no problem sneaking in to find the next clue. If you are in there, the school is very lenient when it comes to finding soulmates, so you shouldn't get in trouble. Find the note hidden somewhere secret for your next clue.' Weird right?' He knows it will take Neo a moment to respond, so he goes out to gather the flag.  
    He hurries back to the safety of the shadows, folding up the delicate fabric for Neo when they see each other again. His phone vibrates in his pocket, and he pulls it out quickly, reading the text. 'K. I'm going to write the letters down. Were you caught? If so, pleeeeeeeeeease find the next note? I'm begging you! I'll give you my dessert at lunch for an entire week!' He rolls his eyes. A tempting offer. 'I haven't been caught yet, but I'll get the note because that offer is too good to pass up.' He presses send, and not a second later he hears a woman clear her throat. He looks up slowly to see a teacher, and sighs. "Take me to the principal's office," he grumbles lightly. He pulls his phone back out as he follows her. 'Teacher caught me right after I sent that. At least I don't have to sneak in now.' He slightly hopes the laughter he knows this will cause will get Neo's phone taken up. But then again, that won't do any good for either of them.


	7. The Third Note

    Uro follows the teacher to the principal's office grudgingly. He sits in the presented chair and waits for said man to appear, grumbling about how it was all Neo's fault. He smiles brightly the moment the door opens; the principal letting himself in. "For what  do I have the pleasure of seeing you here for?" Uro internally rolls his eyes. The teacher had told him she would brief the principal on the circumstances, so why is he asking?  
    "I was helping a friend find his soulmate. They have been talking to each other using the gift. My friend realized markers work." He smiles flawlessly, hoping to be let out soon. But then again, what about the clue? Isn't the note in here somewhere? He looks around hopefully, looking for any signs of another note. He wants that dessert for a week badly.  
    "Ah, I see. Would you mind telling me who your friend is? And any progress of finding his soulmate?" Uro nods softly.  
    "Neomumpos Dohop, Sir. But everyone calls him Neo. And his soulmate decided he wanted to send Neo on a scavenger hunt. He has to find ten notes with five letters and clues in them all within one school day. If he does not manage to find them all, his soulmate will replace each note and start a new scavenger hunt each day he fails. At the moment I am helping because I have a free period, and he begged me to find the second note. As you can see, he is a bit behind."  
    "I would say he is right on time, actually. I know of this scavenger hunt. He may know now because he may be watching the notes, but as of this morning Mister Dohop's soulmate did not know who he was paired with, so they are both in the dark. He asked me if he could hide a note in here, someplace secret."  
    "Yes, that's the clue from the last note! A secret place. But where could that be? And he is on time? How do you know that?" The principal chuckles.  
    "I was curious as to why he had to hide a note in here, so he told me of this scavenger hunt. He even told me he planned out four notes for the first two periods, one note for lunch, four notes for the last two periods, and one note for the end of the day. If you find the note in here, I would say there is time to find the next note, even if it runs into next period. Mister Dohop does not have first lunch, correct? And I am assuming you have the same lunch as him." Uro nods.  
    "Yes. Neo promised me his dessert for a week if I find this note, so I'm determined! I'll be sure to keep him on track with his soulmate's schedule. He may need to hurry up a bit, though. First period was spent begging me to find the second note during my free period. He could have tried to sneak out of the gym to the band's practice field. He knows it better than I do." He pouts, crossing his arms. The principal chuckles.  
    "It sounds like you two are very close."  
    "Neo and I? Of course we're close! We're best friends!" He had somehow stood during his short proclamation, and he sits quickly, flushing in embarrassment. The older man just stares at him in amusement. He clears his throat shyly. "Do you know of anyplace secret in here?" He asks nervously, afraid of being kicked out. The man just laughs.  
    "None that I know of, but I'm an old man! Plenty of places could be secret to me. Or perhaps there was a hint in the last note as to the note's location?" Uro pulls the note back out and glances at the words of the clue.  
    "Stealthy... That has to be the clue!" He immediately gets on his hands and knees, crawling under the desk and staring intently at the empty underside. He groans softly. "I thought I had it, dang it!" He huffs and pushes himself out from under the desk, still staring up. He furrows his brows lightly at a pattern in the cracking ceiling that looks like an arrow. He sits up and follows the arrow's point, eyes landing on a filling cabinet. He stands quickly and slowly walks over to it. He notes it stands taller than him. "It's up there." He states simply.  
    The principal had watched everything curiously, chuckling lightly when the boy had told him where the note was. "Good thing I have a step ladder for the vice principal to get to the documents in those high drawers, then. Here." He fishes it out of the corner and hands it to the boy who hadn't taken his eyes from the filling cabinet. He takes it and quickly unfolds it, mumbling his thanks in distraction. He steps onto it, smiling brightly and grabbing for the top of the cabinet.  
    "Ah ha! I knew it! I knew it would be up here!" He peels the tape back from the folded note carefully. "Thank you for letting me look!" He jumps off the small rise from the step and hugs the older man quickly, giggling happily as he leaves the room. He quickly pulls his phone out on his way to the library. 'Neo, I got it! You owe me your dessert for a week~' His phone doesn't vibrate in his pocket until he is safely in the library,  turning a computer on to login. 'Yay~! I knew you could do it~! And my dessert is totally worth not having to sneak into the principal's office! How terrible was he?' Uro chuckles. 'He wasn't bad, actually. He told me a scedule your soulmate has planned out for the notes. We need to find the fourth one before lunch. Think we can do it?'  
    'Oooooooooooh I don't know! What does that one say!?!' He chuckles, unfolding the paper slowly. 'You're too enthusiastic. Bring it down before I see you again, otherwise it will rub off on me. It says 'To find your next letter, you have to find the pool. There, on an orange, will be your clue for lunch.' What the heck does that mean?' Neo is quick to respond. 'Pool!?! I didn't know we had a pool!' Uro scoffs. 'It's another one of his riddles. Someplace that collects lots of water, I'm guessing.' He furrows his brows in thought. 'I know exactly where that is!' Oh great. Another mission.


	8. The Fourth Note

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am finally able to type my normal speed again! Thank goodness for my wrist brace type thing. I'm soooooo happy to be writing again.

    Neo frowns down at his phone, not worried about the teacher catching him because she is out of the room at the moment. He has to come up with a plan. He starts texting Uro quickly, stating that he is going to ask to go to the washroom when his teacher comes back, and then they will sneak to the area that collects a lot of water before their third period, and then lunch thirty minutes later, starts. Uro agrees, and they set their plan in motion.  


    Neo raises his hand the moment his teacher walks in, and she calls on him. They weren't doing anything, so he doesn't feel bad for asking to use the restroom and knowing he won't be coming back. Seeing as it is the last ten minutes, he knows they won't start anything new. She agrees to let him go, after checking that he is on course with his homework, which is done. He quickly walks out of the room after grabbing his bag, starting toward the library. Uro is already looking for him, so when he appears, the larger boy stands quickly and makes his way out.  


    "That was quick, Neo." The smaller boy smiles sheepishly.  


    "She came back in after I texted you. I took my opportunity. We should hurry before third starts. Of course, we could just say we had a bit of trouble." Uro hits his shoulder playfully.  


    "Neo! That could be taken the wrong way! We are teenage boys." Neo rolls his eyes.  


    "Well, then a bully stopped me and you were there to stand up for me. Refusal of telling a name is key." They both nod at each other, and Neo begins to sneak about the school, leading Uro stealthily, trying not to get caught. They duck into washrooms a few times, seeing as teachers are usually out and about at this time, knowing some students will try to sneak out of their classes early by asking to use the restroom. Uro grabs his hand as he goes to make his way out, pulling him back in and away from the door as a teacher passes.  


    "That was too close, Neo." He breathes out, glancing toward the hall to make sure the coast is clear. He pulls the smaller boy with him, running the final area toward the front doors, bursting through them quickly. Uro leads the younger boy to the side of the school, both panting lightly. "Where is this area?" He asks quickly, glancing at his friend.  


    "A bit away. Come on!" He smiles brightly as he runs to the track; surprisingly only morning mile people use it, but that's probably because of the area right next to it that collects water. Teenagers will be teenagers, and a lot of them had apparently tried hiding and breeding endangered fish in the puddle to sell for a lot of money. At that point the teachers had only let responsible kids know about it; and they were all told the story. Neo had learned through Chisk, when he had let it slip during band practice one day when they had to run down to the track and back. That was not a fun day, but he got to learn something new about his school.  


    He laughs happily as they arrive at the giant puddle. As the note had said, there is an orange floating in the middle of it with a note taped to it. The only problem is the vast size of the puddle, making the orange unreachable. They both groan at the same time as they come to that realization. "Oh no! I forgot how large this thing is! I think it's grown too." Neo furrows his brows.  


    "Of course it's grown. It's been raining for a week straight. How deep do you think it goes?" The thoughtful boy shakes his head, having absolutely no idea how deep the water is. But someone had gotten that orange out there, and now it is their task to bring it back in. Uro picks up a nearby rock and gently tosses it out next to the orange. There are barely any ripples in the water and he frowns. "I'm guessing we don't want to find out. How do we get it?" He stares as the shorter boy walks over to the tree line and picks up a large stick, dragging it behind him back to the puddle.  


    "We go fishing." He says simply, as if it is the obvious answer. He pushes the branch into the water, carefully, trying to make it float. However, it just sinks straight to the bottom, causing the fisher to groan in annoyance. "Please, please, please cooperate with me!" He begs out loud, heaving the stick up out of the water. He pushes it out further, almost touching the orange, when the tip sinks back into the puddle. "Oh come on!" He tries to pull it back up but fails miserably. Uro takes it from his hands gently, lifting it with ease. Neither say a word, because Uro knows it makes Neo feel weak, and Neo knows feeling weak makes Uro feel bad for using his muscles. Eventually, he manages to pull the orange in, very slowly. Sadly it had tipped in transit and the paper had gone underwater, so they have no idea if it is gone.  


    "Finally," the new fisher says quietly, pulling the orange up onto the shore of the puddle with the branch. As he tosses the branch to the side, the younger of the two picks up the orange, reluctant to flip it over, fearing they had lost the clue in the chaos. Thankfully they haven't, and whomever had placed it there had even laminated it with tape so it wouldn't get wet. He opens the note quickly, reading aloud.  


    "'You have found your fourth note! Your second letter is H. I wish you luck finding the other six notes, but I believe in you. Your next clue is rather easy to find, if you haven't gone to lunch yet. Find the table directly in the middle of the room, and it should be taped underneath it. Be careful though! The popular people usually sit there, so you may have to work fast for the note.' Dammit, why there?" Neo groans loudly. Uro laughs lightly.  


    "Neo, we get in there before anyone else does. This will be so easy!" He smiles brightly, confident in their ability to easily obtain the next note. The smaller male is still a bit unsure, but he is determined to find his soulmate, so he's obviously going to try his hardest.  



	9. The Fifth Note

    Neo and Uro are, in fact, not the first ones in the lunch room today. The small male groans loudly. "Uro! I knew we shouldn't have stopped to speak to your soulmate! Look, they're here now. At the popular table. The table we need to get to without anyone yelling at us." Uro pulls a face.

    "I am so sorry, Neo. I shouldn't have spoken to her. She said she wanted to give me something before lunch though. And it was so totally worth it." He holds up the piece of chocolate cake triumphantly. Neo snorts loudly, causing a few people to glance toward him. He places a hand over his mouth and nose, embarrassed. His cheeks get dusted with a light shade of pink.

    "You and your dessert obsession. You should be happy you're active all the time, otherwise those muscles would be fat." Uro punches his arm lightly, nearly toppling him over despite the gentle tap.

    "You're just jealous. Sugar is the best food in the entire world, and it makes you sick." Neo pulls a disgusted face.

    "Because it makes me sick, I do not like it. So there." Uro chuckles, shaking his head lightly.

    "You're crazy. Sugar is the greatest. Now come on, we need to get that note before all of them are there." He pulls the smaller male toward the table with four popular people sitting at it. Suddenly, Yaibu and Chisk are blocking their path. Uro growls at the gray eyed male with shaggy brown hair. "Yaibu. What do you want?" Neo glares at him and punches his arm.

    "Idiot. You're a complete idiot, you know that?" Uro opens his mouth to answer, but he continues speaking. "I didn't realize we shared the same lunch. Uro and I are usually here first. I can see you two aren't far behind. Where are you sitting?" Yaibu's cheeks turn pink.

    "A-actually, my brother is popular. So um..." He glances toward the very table the two are trying to compromise. Neo jumps on the chance.

    "Really? I didn't know that! Do you think they would mind if I sat with you? I know they won't care about Uro because he's a football player, but he won't ever ask them if he can sit with them. He's a big jerk for being such a good friend." He jokes, letting out a quiet laugh. Uro rolls his eyes, slinging an arm over the small boy's shoulders, who nearly collapses at the sudden weight, but balances it out quickly.

    "Somebody has to sit with you. Why not your best friend?" Neo puffs out an annoyed breath. "Shut up, I know I could ask them if you could sit there too. I just don't like it. You know I'm protective of you. But I'll make an exception today." Yaibu smiles lightly at their interaction.

    "You two are like brothers that get along all the time. And I'm sure they wouldn't mind. I mean, I get to sit there." He giggles lightly before making his way over to the table to ask the question. At that moment, Chisk snaps out of the daze he had been in.

    "Why are both of your clothes wet? Did it rain and you were outside or something?" Neo internally panics, the fear spreading across his face. Uro groans and then sighs, placing his large hand on top of the smaller boy's head.

    "Neo, I swear. You're not ever going to get away with doing anything wrong. We've been on a scavenger hunt for Neo's soulmate. He sent him on one to find out his identity. It's actually really fun, despite getting half soaked. I don't know why he won't just tell Neo who he is though. It's like he's afraid it will be somebody who doesn't like him. Neo loves everyone! Not romantically, of course. He would never love anyone but his soulmate in that way. I told him his soulmate must be like that as well." He pauses. "And his soulmate goes to this school." He narrows his eyes lightly, things clicking in his brain. Before he can say his conclusions on the two people it could possibly be, Yaibu comes back up to them.

    "They don't mind! Sorry it took so long, my brother had to embarrass me some. As always." He laughs lightly. Neo nods happily, having completely missed the one-sided conversation between Chisk and Uro, because he had been watching Yaibu's said embarrassment. He pushes his best friend's arm off of his shoulder, skipping with Yaibu to the table. The two other males follow quickly.

    "Uro! Finally you sit with us." One of the jocks says. Neo shifts nervously. Upperclassmen? All four of them? He had expected at least one in sophomore year. The larger male smiles brightly at his teammates.

    "Don't expect it to happen ever again. We plan on stealing these two for our table after today." He gestures toward Chisk and Yaibu, knocking Neo's fork out of his hand. He whines softly as it clatters to the ground. Uro apologizes for the table to hear, then leans in to whisper to the smaller male. "Get the note." He ducks under the table as his best friend keeps the conversation going.

    Neo tries not to think about how disgusting the floor must be as he reaches for his fork. He looks up and, among lots of gum, spots a taped note. Thankfully there's not much gum in the center of the table where it is. He reaches for it with the hand not holding his fork, so he doesn't accidentally pull the note up with his fork. He gently removes it from the underside of the table, popping back up a second later. "Got it." He mumbles as he places it on the table sulkily. He stands to get a fork provided by the cafeteria, slipping the note non conspicuously into his pocket. He doesn't notice Chisk and Yaibu both watching the note go into his pocket, but Uro does.

    Thankfully, lunch goes well, without any other "accidents" caused by Uro, or uncomfortable conversations from the popular people. Neo groans lightly as they leave the room, getting caught  up in the crowd. "Uro, I hate you. I could have dropped it myself. That hurt my wrist!" Uro shrugs, cheeks tinting pink in an unspoken apology. "Fine. It was smart. I want to read the note now." He pulls it out of his pocket, smiling at the familiar hand writing. "'Did you have fun infiltrating their forces? I hope you didn't get in too much trouble with them! Your fifth clue is to find the cherry blossom trail and follow it. Easy, right?' What the actual heck? Cherry blossom trail? I'm pretty sure we've been over half of the school's grounds, and I haven't seen one cherry blossom. I give up!" He tosses his hands up in defeat. Uro pats his arm.

    "I'm sure we'll find it. Maybe it's not outside, but in?"


	10. The Sixth Note

    Uro and Neo look around the halls as they make their way back to class, trying to convince themselves that the cherry blossoms are, in fact, inside, and they have somehow missed them. Neo groans loudly when they get to their second and last shared class of the day. "No cherry blossoms! Why did we not see any cherry blossoms? I thought for sure they would be inside!" Uro pats his shoulder gently.

    "Hey. We'll find them. We haven't looked everywhere inside, and half of the property outside is still waiting." He smiles reassuringly. Neo sighs deeply.

    "I know. I just didn't want to have to go on a wild goose chase. We haven't had to do that yet. He's stepping up his game. I don't know how that makes me feel." He thinks for a moment. "Or maybe we ran out of knowledge."

    "Neo, listen to yourself. We know things about the school. Why do we know things about the school?" Neo giggles lightly at Uro's question and bemused, pouty face.

    "Well, my good sir, I would say that is likely because we do things outside of just learn. You play football on the marching field, and I march on the football field. Of course we know some of the property."

    "Both of us use the marching field, Neo. You cannot tell me we don't. Your marching requires so much more thinking than playing football does. I don't think we could even march right, much less play an instrument while marching, if we knew how to play them, with our music memorized. You guys are amazing, and the entire team agrees." Uro smiles down at him softly, ruffling his hair. "And don't go telling me it's not that hard. I've watched specifically you march before, and the step size changes are ridiculous. How the hell do you remember how big or how small they should be at what time?" The smaller boy laughs lightly.

    "It's not easy, let me tell you! Counting and knowing almost the exact spot to go is definitely key to that. If I mentally map out the field and know how far I'm going, I can adjust my step size accordingly." Uro stares in amazement at him. "Wh-what?" He flushes lightly.

    "You do that, plus play, plus have your music memorize, plus stay facing toward the audience? How do you manage that? And when you pull your instrument down and pull it back up, that must be hard too right? How does the entire section do that at the same time?" Neo rolls his eyes softly.

    "Uro, you're overthinking it. We're taught how to do this before school even starts. And the secret to being together is counting. Our visuals are counted too." The larger boy's eyes go wide, like an excited puppy.

    "So you have to count to do everything? I don't think I could do that normally! Especially not while playing an instrument." The smaller boy laughs loudly.

    "Most of the time, I know what part in the music each movement is. When I'm not playing, I count either quietly or in my head. I'm guessing that's going to shock you too?"

    "You know it. I would totally loose focus and just wonder across the field. Speaking of that, don't you have to roll your feet or stay up on your toes?" Uro tilts his head, his small fringe of hair falling into one eye.

    "That we do. It's easier to stay up on our toes because if we don't, we'll have a hardcore fall. Rolling your feet takes practice, but once you've got it down it comes naturally. That's why I walk like I'm marching all fall." Uro chuckles.

    "I've noticed that. I just thought it was dedication. Now I know it's because you can't stop."

    "Very true. And, even though it's less common, when I go backwards, most of the time it's up on my toes like I'm marching. Year round, because it's easier that way." The larger male laughs lightly.

    They look up to their teacher as she walks in. A few minutes later, after much explanation, Uro and Neo are walking down the halls, along with the rest of their class. "How fortunate is this? We can look for the cherry blossoms now! It's like the world is actually helping us out for once!" The smaller male frowns at his best friend's words.

    "It's a bit too convenient. Do you think my soulmate may have had something to do with this? I mean come on, a sudden gas leak, in that room only, during lunch? He must know who I am! So that means... The clue was meant for the lunch room!" Uro tilts his head in confusion.

    "Why do you say that? It's just to get us out and about in the school so we can look." Neo shakes his head furiously.

    "Think about it. If he knows who I am, he would know what classes I'm in. We've been sneaking around all morning, so it makes no sense for him to start helping us now. If we missed a clue that was meant for the lunch room, what better way to cause a distraction than a gas leak? The entire class would get out, and the teacher won't notice us missing for a few minutes." The older male looks at his friend, bemused yet impressed.

    "That actually makes sense. Well come on then, we have to sneak back into the cafeteria!" He takes Neo's small hand and drags him to said room, glancing around, looking at the paintings on the walls. "Aha! There are cherry blossoms in here!" He pulls his friend to a painting of a cherry tree in the back of the cafeteria, far away from where anyone ever sits. Uro frowns deeply on further inspection, realizing the falling blossoms don't lead anyone. The smaller male, however, bounces excitedly. "What? There's nothing here. I thought for sure this was it!"

    "Uro, you big lovable dummy. This is it!" Neo kneels next to an outlet cover below the last falling blossom, pulling it off gently. He pulls out a small folded paper before putting the cover back. He hops up and opens it as the larger male gapes at his deductive reasoning. "'Very well done! Did you have to come back in here? I hope it wasn't too much trouble! Your third letter is S. On to your next clue. There is a hidden waterfall inside the school. Find it, and you will find your seventh clue!' Dammit, another inside riddle? We barely got the last one! I want to go back outside!" Neo whines. Uro places a calming hand on his shoulder.

    "We'll find it, I promise. Besides, we have the rest of this period free." Neo nods softly, trying to believe the larger male is speaking the truth.


	11. The Seventh Note

    Uro and Neo sneak back out of the cafeteria quietly, thankfully managing not to get caught. The smaller male lets out a sigh of relief. "S. Now we just need two more letters, and four more notes! I can't wait to find out who my soulmate is!" The larger male thinks for a moment, quickly deciding to let his best friend figure out who his soulmate is, even though he knows it's more than likely Chisk. What friend would spoil an ending, anyway? Especially one this import. He smiles softly at the smaller male, ruffling his shoulder length, mahogany hair.

    "I'm excited for you. Ava just told me straight out who she was the moment we had both turned sixteen." He chuckles at the memory. "She had scratched her name into her skin, knowing her soulmate could see it." Neo rolls his eyes, having heard the story at least a hundred times before. He pushes Uro lightly, huffing playfully. The larger male lets out a quiet bark of laughter, pulling Neo's hair up above his head, causing him to pout and bat at his hand. He releases his grip, purposefully making it fall in the petite male's face. He shoves it back into position, smoothing it down while glaring at his best friend.

    "Stop messing around, silly. We need to find this hidden, inside waterfall. Where do you think it could be?" Uro shrugs, thinking fiercely.

    "Maybe it's not so much an actual or painted waterfall, but where the paint on the walls looks like a waterfall?" Neo beams at him, pulling him into a tight hug.

    "You're a genius! Of course it wouldn't be too obvious! Now we just have to find the area. It will probably be somewhere students don't visit often, as it would be smoothed down otherwise." The buff male looks at his friend, awed by his solution to their problem.

    "You say I'm a genius, but you're the real genius for figuring out where it would be! I was going to look in every hall, and that would have taken forever." Neo giggles, tossing a lock of his hair over his shoulder and in front of his face.

    "I am a genius. But you are too. Without your suggestion, I never would have figured out where it would be. We make a good genius team." Uro laughs lightly at his words. The smaller male takes his hand and leads him into a section of the school where few people go, searching the walls carefully for anything that looks remotely like a waterfall. He quickly spots one, running over to it, nearly dragging Uro behind him. He releases his friend's hand, kneeling to inspect the small paint waterfall. The ridges from a brush run over the wall in that spot are sticking out, making a bit of the wall appear to be a cream colored waterfall.

    "Anything?" Neo shakes his head, moving closer to the waterfall. He huffs softly, running his fingers over the paint ridges. His shoulders droop as he stands slowly. He glances up at Uro, defeated. "Hey, don't give me that look. Maybe there's more than one around the school? Maybe there's even more than one in this area! Don't give up so easily. You want to find him, don't you? If you don't find all ten notes today, you'll have to wait until Monday to try again!" Neo beams at the mini speech, holding himself a bit more confidently now.

    "Yeah! I have to find out who he is! I need all of these notes today! I'm past half way, so I know i can do it!" He marches a bit away, kneeling by another paint waterfall. This one is smaller than the last, so he immediately pops back up. "I'm guessing it needs to be big and obvious. Or tiny and unseeable. The thing is, I have no idea which one." He sighs softly, then perks up. "Oh well! Better get to looking!" He marches toward another paint waterfall, dismissing it the moment he gets closer, seeing it isn't as small as the last one, or as large as the first one.

    "Neo, wait up!" He laughs happily, following the assured male down the hall as he looks at each and every paint waterfall carefully. He starts surveying them as well, examining them for longer than Neo, hoping to spot a hint in at least one of them. After reviewing no less than ten paint waterfalls, he calls Neo over from a few away. "Look! I think I see an arrow!" He smiles brightly at the clue, giddy with himself. The other searching male trots over to glance at the arrow, beaming at Uro.

    "You are the bestest friend ever!" He giggles happily and hugs him gently, sure the arrow will lead them to the correct waterfall. Eventually. He looks up from the mark, blinking softly. "Wait. That can't be right. Why is it pointing toward the locker room I went in earlier?" The larger male furrows his brows.

    "It is? That's odd." He stares at the arrow. "It is! Well, we have to go. Maybe you missed something earlier. You were distracted trying to find the first note. And maybe he went through after you got the first note and put the next one in there so you wouldn't accidentally take the seventh note." Uro smiles softly at the giggle he receives from the smaller male.

    "Maybe you're right. He probably did come back through and place it wherever he has placed it after I was finished finding the first note. Two notes in the same location is risky, especially if they are six notes apart! I'm glad I didn't find it earlier, I would have been super duper confused!" Uro snorts quietly.

    "Only you could make 'super duper' sound so cute. I swear, you're soulmate is so lucky to have you. Everything you do is cute, so if he likes cute things, he's going to absolutely adore you." Neo's cheeks tint pink, then red, then crimson. He punches Uro in the arm for teasing him, a direct message not to do it again. They both know there will be much more teasing in the near future, despite the action.

    "Oh! I wonder..." He runs over to the showers, peeking in each one. He giggles happily as he unveils the last one, and a note taped to the shower head. "And the paint looks like a large waterfall!" He reaches for the note and pulls it down, walking back to his friend. He opens it, reading it giddily. "'Are you keeping on track? This note should be found in third period! I wish you luck finding the last three! Your next clue is rather simple. When the bell rings for fourth period, go to locker two hundred. No one will be there because it is unowned. Find the note I slipped inside. It won't be there until then.' That sounds easy enough!" Neo looks at his best friend, who nods in agreement.


	12. The Eighth Note

    The two best friends start to wander back to their walking class, hoping no one has noticed their disappearance. "Neo?" The smaller male looks up at Uro curiously.

    "Yeah?" He tilts his head questioningly, worry flitting across his eyes at the expression on his best friend's face. The taller male sighs softly, glancing shyly at the shorter male. "Uro, please, you're scaring me. Tell me what's wrong. Is it something bad? Tell me it's not something bad. Please." Neo's voice wavers as he peeps up at the male in front of him.

    "Whoa there, Neo. Calm down. It's nothing too concerning. I'm just wondering why he would make it so easy. I'm worried there's going to be like traps or something when you open it. I hope nothing hurts you." Uro's brows knit together.

    "Listen to yourself. Nothing dangerous will be there! I'm his soulmate, remember? You're being silly." The larger male dips his head in defeat.

    "You're right. I am completely crazy, you should just toss me off the side of the building. Come on, I'll even drag myself to the roof so you can do it." The smaller male snorts faintly, shaking his head. "Come on, I'm serious. Remember, I'm crazy! I'll drag you up there too so you can throw me off." Neo rolls his eyes, taking Uro's wrist and pulling harshly. It doesn't move his friend, but it does get his sane attention back.

    "You're crazy for thinking you're crazy. A paradox, I know, but it's true. You are no more crazy than I am." The taller male opens his mouth to speak, only to be cut off. "And don't say I'm crazy as well. That's overplayed." Uro grins, removing Neo's hand from his wrist and flitting away playfully. The petite male rolls his eyes yet again, stepping after his friend confidently.

    Neither of the two notice Yaibu and Chisk standing in a doorway to one of the bathrooms as they tromp around the hallway, paths aimed at their ambling class. The brown haired male turns to face his friend, laughter filling his eyes as the two they had been watching disappear around a corner. "They really are close. It's kind of sweet." He smiles softly, glancing toward the wall that hides the two from sight.

    "They are very close. I hope I don't change that friendship." The blonde shifts nervously, wringing his hands together. Yaibu frowns lightly, grasping the slightly smaller male's hands in his own, stilling their motion. This causes Chisk to look up at his friend, worry clear in his expression and in his eyes. "Sorry. I'm just really really nervous about this. What if he hates me after he finds out?" Yaibu snorts quietly, daintily rolling his gray eyes.

    "You're just as crazy as Uro insists he is. Do you really think Neo could hate you? You're one of his only friends. I feel like he will love that he already knows his soulmate." The green eyed male nods gently, a small smile slipping onto his lips.

    "Maybe you're right." He pauses. "Or maybe you're completely wrong, and he will reject me? I'll be without anyone!" Yaibu sighs and pulls the distressed boy into a hug, slowly but surely creeping the pair down to the floor. Chisk grunts smoothly, cuddling up to his best friend, burying his face in his chest. He hadn't realized he was crying until he felt the fabric of the shirt soak his tears up.

    "Shh, it's okay, it's okay. He'll love that it's you, I just know it. You two have so much in common. I can't even imagine you not being absolutely wonderful together!" Chisk raises his head from Yaibu's slightly damp shirt.

    "I know you're right. I'm just so afraid. And not just that he won't like me." He sighs gently and raises the bottom of his shirt up a bit, showing the slightly larger male an array of different sized bruises in varying colors.

    "Oh Chisk... Did your father come home yesterday?" Yaibu receives a small nod. Chisk is immediately smothered in a crisp Autumn scent as his best friend hugs him tightly. "He hurt you more than usual. Did he get a demotion?" The vulnerable boy shakes his head. He sobs once, the broken noise tearing through the younger boy's heart.

    "W-worse. He got fired." He mumbles, glancing up at his friend. Tears fall freely from his eyes now. He is squeezed securely by gentle arms. "Yaibu," he whispers, gripping the other's slightly damp shirt weakly as he is pressed into his chest. "I'm so scared. He's never been this violent before. What if he really hurts me? He can do some real damage. I'm completely terrified."

    "Shh, I know. I won't let him hurt you, I promise. And I know Neo won't either, when he finds you. He likely already knows about the abuse." Chisk nods faintly, another sob wracking his body. "Hey. The bell is about to ring. Don't you want to put that note in the locker we chose? I'm sure it will make you happy to see your soulmate excited to find all of them." The smaller boys beams, letting Yaibu wipe his tears away so it won't look as much like he was crying. They stand together, just as the bell rings.

    "Race you." The blonde takes off running, laughing happily. The brown haired male smiles to himself, quickly following his friend, glad he is feeling better. They get to locker two hundred just before many people are in the hallways. Chisk pulls the eighth note out of his pocket and slips it into the locker happily, taking Yaibu's hand after and fleeing a few feet away, just in time.

    Neo skips up to the specified locker and opens it eagerly, attempting to catch the note as it flutters out. Uro laughs at his frantic actions, shaking his head. "You should have just let it fall and then picked it up." The smaller male glares something fierce at him.

    "No way! I can't let these notes touch the ground! He means too much to me." He opens the note he had managed to catch gently, reading over the words quietly. "'Only two more to go! Your next letter is C. I apologize for any inconvenience the next note may cause you, but it is somewhere outside on the football field. Be careful though! The band will be marching. Find it under the bench on the sideline.' That should be easy! I just wonder how he got there earlier?" Uro shakes his head, completely at a loss. He glances at Chisk and Yaibu nearby, knowing the blonde had recently been in front of the locker. They both hurry off to class, having made eye contact with him. He smiles delicately, glad that his best friend will be with his soulmate soon.


	13. The Ninth Note

    Uro and Neo are not very fond of being in a class without each other, but they have to manage. The larger male waves to his best friend as they separate at the door to his English class. The smaller male waves enthusiastically back, nearly tumbling over himself as he turns around. He giggles lightly at his mistake, running off to the band room. He bounces over to his seat and plops down, immediately putting his flute together. Feeling eyes on him, he twists around in his seat to spot Chisk. He waves happily at him. "Hi! How's your day?" He questions politely, smiling brightly. The blonde's previously somber face lightens up a bit.

    "I'm doing better now that I'm around you. You always cheer me up. Thank you." Neo's cheeks tint pink, causing the slightly larger male to laugh. "No need to get all flustered. Though I have to admit, it is a bit cute. I'd even dare to say exquisite." Yaibu pops into the conversation, saving Neo from anymore embarrassment.

    "Chisk! Come on, let's gooooo! You're so slow!" He huffs after his words, grabbing his best friend's hand and pulling him up out of his seat. The green eyed male squeaks airily, cheeks just as crimson as Neo's. "Hurry hurry hurry! Put your saxophone together! I want to get to the field first today. I mean we usually make it up there quickly, but I want to be the first ones there today!" Yaibu whines impatiently as Chisk assembles his instrument. The blue eyed flute smiles at their antics, grabbing his flip folder from his bag. He tosses his head over the back of his seat to see if there are any storm clouds outside. He observes a few dark streaks in the sky, and snatches up his instrument case just in case it rains.

    "Woodwinds take your cases! It looks like rain out there!" He shouts as more students start to file into the class, gaining a few groans of disappointment at the news. He hops out of his seat and grabs Chisk's case, smiling brightly at him. "I got it. You just worry about putting your saxophone together. Yaibu and I are going to go on ahead so we can be the first ones at the field. Catch up if you can!" He links his arm with the gray eyed flute's arm and dashes off, taking the excited male with him. Chisk laughs freely, shaking his head.

    "Yaibu? Can I share a secret with you?" Neo mumbles shyly once they make it to the field, hardly panting despite the run up a hill they just made. The somewhat larger male takes a breath, shaking his head in defeat.

    "How the heck can you run up that hill without dying at the top? Anyway, of course you can share a secret with me. If you can't trust your flute family, who can you trust?" The petite male giggles, beaming at his fellow flutie.

    "I've been on a scavenger hunt all day! It's to find my soulmate. He seems absolutely wonderful. I know I haven't met him yet, but I know I'll undoubtedly love him when I finally get to meet him. I'm so excited to. I honestly can't wait. I know that his name has five letters, and I know four of the five letters, but they are scrambled. I also know he goes to Cantor Erest High, but I have no idea who he could be! I'm impatient. I want to know who he is now, but I respect his wish to stay anonymous until I rightly earn his name. It's just... I'm so eager!" Yaibu chuckles at his enthusiasm.

    "You sound smitten. I'm glad. You haven't even met him yet and you already love him so much. Is there anything I can do to help?" Neo's eyes light up.

    "Actually there is! He put a note under the bench, but I've always been afraid to go near it." Yaibu laughs lightly, biting his lip to hold it back.

    "That's absolutely adorable! I know he'll just love you. You're afraid of something so simple, but it's cute." Neo's cheeks start to burn from embarrassment.

    "I've never really been allowed near it by anyone else. I guess I just came to associate the bench with negative comments." He smiles shyly. Yaibu chuckles.

    "I completely understand. You've been classically conditioned to hesitate when approaching the bench." When the smaller boy looks confused, his ears turn slightly pink. "Sorry. It's a psychology thing. It basically means that your automatic response is the same when around the object, even if there is no one there to tell you no. It's the same thing as a dog expecting food when he or she sees his or her master with something in his or her hand."

    "Ah! I think I understand now! It's involuntary, right?" The slightly larger male nods, kneeling in the grass next to the bench. He reaches under it and plucks the note off the bottom, rising once again and holding it out to the petite male. He bows his head quickly. "Thank you." Yaibu chuckles and ruffles his hair.

    "It was nothing, really. I'm always glad to help out a fellow band member. A flute especially, since the instrument holds a special place in my heart. But you know all about that." He gently taps the smaller male's flute, pressing down a button for a moment. "Hey, it's not as shiny as usual." The dainty male flushes brightly.

    "Uh, yeah. Ch-Chisk was holding and admiring it earlier. I guess I forgot. I was going to clean it. I didn't bring my cloth with me though." He starts to rub at it tenderly with his shirt. Once he is satisfied with the shine, he tucks it under his arm gently. He unfolds the note, reading over the words carefully. He doesn't mind when Yaibu peeks over his shoulder at the words, reading them as well.

    "'Almost done! I can't believe you made it. Maybe I'll find out how when we meet! Your final clue is! I've hidden a slip of paper with your final letter on it tied to a tree by where the buses load. Good luck!' Wow. He's good." Neo giggles at his words, nodding in agreement. He folds the note back up and places it in his pocket just as Chisk runs up to them.


	14. The Tenth Note

    Neo runs to opening set as the band director had just instructed, when it starts pouring down rain. The flutes all shriek, shoving their instruments under their shirts quickly. "Save the flutes!" He yells out, making a dash for the sideline. All order in the band has fallen to pieces, as saxophones rush for their cases, clarinets hunch over their instruments as they dive for their cases, and the flutes freak out about getting their pads wet. The piccolos smile triumphantly, as they can easily cover their instruments without them getting wet. Yaibu nudges Neo gently, gaining his attention quickly. "I wish they would shut up about how small their instruments are. It makes them easier to carry, so they're lesser than us!" The slightly smaller male snorts loudly, earning himself some weird stares from the other band members. Yaibu laughs lightly, enchanted by his courage to glare back at them.

    Chisk jogs up, smiling brightly, case in hand. "This rain is crazy!" He shouts over the roar of the cascading drops, patiently waiting as the two flutes gather their own cases and start a mad dash toward the school. Neo flicks the strap holding his flip folder to his arm off, catching it before it falls. Yaibu attempts the same thing, but his falls. Both Neo and Chisk dip for it, crashing into each other. The blonde accidentally elbows the blue eyed male in the nose with his elbow, compelling him to shout out in pain. "I'm sorry! Curse these long limbs!" He straightens up quickly, letting the petite male gather the flip folder and hand it to Yaibu.

    "It's okay. But ow, that hurt a lot." He whines out softly, standing wobbly. The green eyed male frowns faintly, collecting the mahogany beauty around his waist. He blushes, but doesn't say anything. The ever so slightly larger male smiles uneasily at him, eyes questioning if he is okay. He shakes his head, nose really hurting. One of Chisk's hands trails up to his cheek, stroking a thumb across his cheek.

    "Do you want me to kiss it better?" He inquires tenderly, already leaning in. Neo squeaks helplessly as soft lips connect with the tip of his nose, crimson blossoming from the touch out to his ears. Once he pulls away, Yaibu points at the blushing male, facial expression horrified.

    "Neo, you're bleeding!" The shorter male tenderly touches under his nose, eyes growing wide as he touches a warm, sticky liquid. He squeals loudly, running the rest of the way to the school, faster than their steady jog. The moment he is in the band room, he dries his flute off at top speed, placing it in his case. He dashes off to the restroom after glancing at his band director and getting told to go clean up. He heaves a sigh as he stares as his reflection, completely drenched. He grabs some toilet paper from a stall and starts dabbing at his bleeding nose.

    "Sorry for doing that." Chisk mumbles, coming up behind him. "And I don't just mean the bloody nose. I'm sorry for getting so close. It's just... Well, you'll find out why soon enough. I don't want to say anything, it might ruin the surprise." The more dainty of the two agrees wordlessly, reviewing the taller's emotions through his eyes, in the mirror. He appears to be terrified and happy at the same time. He continues to scrub the blood away, wetting the paper a bit for the dried pieces already sticking to him. He groans loudly when the not so gentle dabbing leaves an angry red area below his nose.

    "Dang it. I was too worried about the blood to think about not leaving a red mark. That makes me sad." He runs his finger over the red spot. The blonde behind him smiles softly, shaking his head. "What? Oh! My nose is still bleeding!" He gathers more toilet paper in a rush, having thrown the other bit away. Green eyes watch him with interest, surveying his every movement. He flushes under the gaze, causing the larger male to clear his throat awkwardly and flick his shirt up absently, exposing a small bruise on his hip. Neo steps toward him, bloody nose forgotten, despite his holding the paper to his nose still. "What's that from? Did I do that? No, it wouldn't have bruised yet. That's an odd place for a natural bruise."

    "I-it's nothing. Really. I just..." he pauses for too long, hinting to the smaller male that something is wrong. "I run into tables all the time. I guess I got the bruise from there." Chisk explains quickly, eyes darting around nervously. He shifts back and forth on his feet, concerning the smaller male. Before he has the chance to ask what really happened, the final bell rings. He groans loudly, tossing the toilet paper in the trash after making sure he is no longer bleeding, and rushes back to the band room in an attempt to beat the flood of students.

    "Neo! What were you doing in there? You never go in there unless you're hurt." Uro expresses, worry in his eyes. He instantly checks over his friend, noticing the red bit of skin under his nose. "Oh. What happened?" The dainty male shakes his head, ducking into the band room to gather his bag and flute before popping back out a moment later. "Come on, you have to tell me what happened! And if you found the note."

    "Of course i found the note. The letter is on a tree outside, by the buses. However, I will not tell you who injured me because it was an accident, nothing more." Uro huffs, a bit miffed at not being told what happened, but brushes it off. "Let's go find that letter!" The blue eyed male beams, running outside, his best friend following close behind. They bump into Chisk as he is exiting the restroom. The large male notes his friend's cheeks turning pink, deciding to leave the two alone. He jogs toward the bus area, telling the small male he will meet him out there.

    "Please don't tell anyone about the bruise. It was an accident. Father would be upset if he found out. I've been scolded for injuring myself. I'm begging you not to tell." The slightly smaller male's shoulders droop lightly.

    "Okay. But do be careful. I have to go find Uro now before he gets into trouble, so bye!" He waves at him as he sprints off, searching around for his best friend. He detects him swiftly, standing by a tree he has never noticed before. He jogs up to him, and he just points at a paper tied to the tree. The letter I is written on it.


	15. Bus Ride

    Neo plops down on the bus seat in aggravation, Uro sitting next to him much more calmly. "What's up? Aren't you happy that you have all the letters?" The petite boy stares at him like he has lost his mind completely. "Neo, you have to speak. I can't read minds, despite popular belief of my insanity." This gains a chuckle, and the larger male feels less uneasy. "Go on. I'm listening to your complaints."

    "It's just... I really suck at unscrambling things! And what if he doesn't like me? What if he hates me, Uro?! I don't know what I would do with myself if I found out he hates me!" His words pull a laugh from his best friend.

    "Believe me, he will not hate you." The smaller male opens his mouth quickly to ask a question, but is cut off. "Yes I do know who it is—I'm pretty sure at least—but I will not tell you." His blue eyes go from shining to upset. "Hey, now, don't make that face. I want you to figure it out yourself. I believe in you. I know you can do it, no matter how much you tell me you can't. And no, I will not give any hints. You can ask him personally for a clue, but I will not reveal his identity so easily."

    "Then a single hint would give it away? I need that hint!" He pulls a marker from his pocket, poising it over his arm.

    "I never said that." The mahogany haired male snorts softly.

    "But you implied it!" He brushes the marker across his arm, creating a large, yellow circle. Uro watches him questioningly as he draws another marker from his pocket. He begins to write with it inside the circle, but nothing emerges from the tip.

    "Uh, Neo? Your marker doesn't appear to be working, but you continue to write with it. Why?" He snorts again, a bit louder this time.

    "We've been writing to each other in invisible ink. Maybe you've heard of it? It's actually really awesome that it shows up." He beams at his best friend, hoping he is impressed with his clever idea. "Oh! It was my idea too, so that makes it even more shocking that it works."

    "A, stop putting yourself down just because sometimes your ideas go wrong. That won't always happen, please get that through your head. B, that is really awesome. I wonder if I could write to Ava like that?" He bounces in the seat excitedly.

    "She would have to have one too, otherwise she would never see it, or respond. I think it's kind of romantic, in a way. Only we get to see our conversations. There's no way any outside source could see them without our permission. I like that." He smiles shyly, cheeks tinting a bit pink, reminding Uro of a few moments ago with Chisk. He pokes his smaller friend's right cheek, as he is on that side of him.

    "Hey, you're day dreaming. What did you ask him, and what is his response?" He picks the marker from his hand, shining the light over the circled area. "'I am lost. I have a really hard time with unscrambling words. I feel as if I could maybe do it if I knew the position of one letter.' Neo, you don't need help! But he hasn't responded. I wonder why?" Uro's words make him glance down at his arm, smile falling a bit, as there are no words but his own.

    "He was responding earlier... We were writing a bit in class. Does he not like me anymore?" He sniffs quietly, shaking his head a second later, bringing his hand to his eyes and wiping at them furiously. Uro sighs in concern, pulling the smaller male into his arms for a compassionate hug, rubbing his back faintly.

    "Don't think like that. Maybe he just hasn't seen it yet. It is a light yellow circle. I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't see it right away." He says reassuringly, but Neo doesn't seem to be hearing him. He internally sighs at his friend's disappointed face. "You're right. He totally has aliens as parents, and they're keeping him from talking to you. I can see it clearly now! They're trying to turn you against him so their adoptive son never leaves them, and they can steal his DNA and keep it all to themselves." The smaller male giggles helplessly, punching his friend in the arm.

    "Okay, okay, I get it. Patience is key. I'm glad we're spending the weekend together. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to stop thinking about unscrambling these words. I won't be so concerned until Sunday night with us being together. And hey, maybe we will unscramble it ourselves, without a hint!" The larger male furrows his brows together.

    "He could respond. You make it sound like he won't be responding all weekend, and you know it. Why?" The petite male's shoulders drop a bit. "Neo." He sighs.

    "He may have mentioned something about going to see his grandmother this weekend. I didn't expect him to be gone this soon though. I... Miss him. But that's probably just because i don't know who he is yet. I probably won't miss him as much when I figure out who he is. I hope so, anyway. My mind is likely just trying to figure out who he is through the way he writes. It's bound to be like his speech, right?" He looks hopefully at Uro.

    "I don't know. He may be writing differently than he normally would, taking into consideration that you might try to figure out who he is through his writing. I mean I doubt it, but there's still that possibility. I wouldn't rely on that as a clue. We can try to unscramble the letters together. Of course, I'm just going to tell you if your letter placement is right or not, since I'm pretty sure I know who it is. It would be unfair for me to actually help you unscramble, because I'll immediately place them in the right order." He smiled innocently at his smaller friend, who grimaces at him.

    "You're unfair. But I agree, despite saying you're unfair. It wouldn't feel right. Thank you." He says shyly, averting his eyes.

    "You're sharing your feelings without trying to get it out of me first? I'm glad to see he means this much to you. And, you're welcome for pointing you in the right direction. I love you, Neo." The petite male rolls his eyes, but smiles brightly.

    "I love you too, Uro."


	16. Reveal

    Neo tosses his backpack onto Uro's bed, plopping down onto the floor a moment later. "I have a beanbag, you know. And a bed you could sit on, if you didn't splay your backpack across it every time you came home with me." He pushes said backpack off gently, catching it as it falls toward the floor, placing it down instead of simply letting it crash to the ground. He jumps up onto the bed, watching his friend stretch out across his floor and close his eyes.

    "Uro? Can I talk to you about something? I feel horrible for it, but I have to get it off my chest." The larger male raises a brow questioningly, observing the petite male's nervous shifting.

    "Of course, Neo. You know I'll listen to anything you have to say. And don't feel horrible for it. Even though I don't know what it is yet, I'm sure there is no reason to feel bad for it." The male sprawled across the floor groans loudly.

    "That's the thing! It is something to feel absolutely terrible about. I... Like Chisk. I think." The larger male stares at his friend, who still has his eyes shut.

    "How is that atrocious?" Neo grunts quietly from the floor.

    "I have a soulmate, Uro! That's how, and why, it's atrocious!" He sits up suddenly, crawling his way over to the bed and onto it, somehow without standing.

    "Well, why don't you tell me what you like about Chisk?" The fragile male sniffs faintly, hugging his best friend for comfort. The larger male wraps his arms around his delicate frame, once again rubbing his back carefully.

    "What isn't there to like about him? He's sweet and kind and affectionate. We share the same passion for spotless, shiny instruments, which admittedly is a weird thing to like about someone, but I do. He's very accepting of anything and everything. We don't fight about which instrument is better; I think we have a mutual agreement that we each think the instrument we play is the best, like most band kids do, but can't admit. He's kind of always there, next to you, but you're more like a brother than anything else. It's different with him. Oh! And he smells really good! I figured that one out this morning. And... He's very beautiful. He is so extravagant! His long hair is so silky, and his eyes pull me in. I know I shouldn't be saying these things because appearance doesn't matter much to me, but it's not just the outside. He's so exquisite on the inside too. I really think I," He takes a deep breath. Then, in a whisper, finishes his thought; "Love him. But it's wrong! It's so wrong! I shouldn't love him, I should love my soulmate! I'm a horrible person!" He starts sobbing suddenly, soaking Uro's shirt quickly.

    "Neo, hey. Don't be so hard on yourself. You love the right person. I was going to keep it a secret, but you're so torn up about this I can't. Chisk is your soulmate." The petite male looks up at him, wiping the tears from his eyes.

    "You really mean it? This isn't just some cruel joke?" He sniffs loudly.

    "Have I ever, and would I ever, joke about something so serious?" The smaller male shakes his head slowly, still a bit unsure. "You wrote the letters down, right? Let's rearrange them into his name." The petite male removes a slip of paper from his pocket, along with a pen. Uro takes them as they are offered to him, reading the letters off in the order they are written. "K, H, C, S, I. If I write the C first, H is more than likely the next letter." He writes 'CH' under the jumbled word. "Since there is only one vowel, it probably goes in the middle." He jots down 'I' as well. Neo perks up, continuing the logic puzzle his friend has laid out.

    "S and then K is usually the order of the two letters left." He takes the pen tenderly and shakily adds the remaining letters. "Chisk. I-it's true. Chisk is my soulmate," he whispers faintly. Then his eyes grow wide in happiness. "Chisk is my soulmate! And I love him! I loved him before I knew who he was!" He claps loudly, giggling. "I knew his writing seemed familiar!"

    "'His writing seemed familiar'? What do you mean?" The smaller of the two blushes lightly.

    "Oh, it's just the way he wrote seemed familiar to how someone I know spoke, but I just couldn't remember who. Now I do!" He beams happily, before it falls a moment later. "Oh."

    "What? What is it, Neo?" Without a word, he lifts his shirt over his head, tossing it to the side. Uro gasps quietly. "Those are..." The petite male stands and walks over to the mirror in his best friend's room. He runs a hand over the bruises on his stomach, flinching despite there not being any pain.

    "I noticed one of these earlier. He said he ran into things a lot. I-I shouldn't have let him go home." Tears fill his eyes. The larger male slides off his bed and pulls the blue eyed boy into his arms.

    "Shh, shh. This is not your fault at all. Do not blame yourself." He shakes his head, the salty water falling from his eyes and cascading down his cheeks.

    "No, this is not my fault. But any new bruises will be my fault. We have to tell someone!" The older male sighs deeply.

    "Ask him about it first. I'm sure he doesn't want just anyone knowing." He nods, swallowing around the lump in his throat.

    "I'll ask him in person. That's not something to write to him about." He forces a smile. Uro frowns slightly, shaking his head. It takes Neo a moment to realize what the larger male is thinking. "My message!" He pulls out his invisible ink pen, shining the light over his arm. He giggles at the new writing there; Chisk's writing. "'The H is in the right spot. That's the onhly hint I'll give you!' And of course, he drew a smiley face. There's another thing I love about him." He smiles fondly. His friend laughs a bit, shaking his head as the younger male writes a message back in black marker; 'I love you.'


	17. Broken

    The weekend finishes without a response from Chisk. Neo is worried sick by the time Uro's mom drops them off at school Monday morning. "You wouldn't be mad at me if I went to find him now, would you?" He asks nervously, only to receive a small, yet distressed laugh.

    "Of course you can search for him. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't let you find your soulmate, especially when he hasn't responded all weekend? Just don't forget he does the morning mile." The petite male smiles softly.

    "Thank you. But if the new bruises have anything to say about his condition, I don't think he will be running." He bows his head, tears coming to his eyes. Uro shoves him gently, his way of telling his best friend to go and search quickly. He nods before running off, watching as Ava comes up to her soulmate. He waves at her, jogging past. She waves back in confusion, asking him why he's in such a hurry. Thankfully his friend has his back, and distracts her.

    He decides to check the locker room that had started the hunt, and made him realize his love for Chisk. He runs in quickly, glancing around in a rush. He gasps lightly and steps toward Chisk lightly, afraid of spooking him. The long haired male is breathing harshly, laying on one of the benches with his eyes closed. Neo's bottom lip trembles, as he is suddenly aware of just how bad the situation is. The blonde has his hand pressed to the 'I love you' on his arm. The slightly smaller male kneels, crawling quietly over to his soulmate. Suddenly, Yaibu hurries through the door.

    "N-Neo!" He squeaks out, nearly dropping the paper bag in his arms. "What are you doing here?" He sighs softly, pulling away from Chisk, standing slowly.

    "I'm here for my soulmate." He says quietly, glancing back at the green eyed beauty. He makes a face, realization crossing his expression. "This is my fault, isn't it?"

    "What? N-no!" Yaibu manages out, voice at least an octave higher than usual. The smallest male in the room sighs.

    "It is. What happened?" Yaibu is about to respond, but it becomes apparent he was talking to Chisk as he turns back to him and takes his hand gently. "Please. Wake up. I won't let anyone hurt you anymore. I promise." He smiles sadly, leaning in to peck his cheek. He lets out a quiet grunt and rolls onto his side, facing away from Neo. Tears start to stream down his cheeks, and he chokes out a sob. "Shh, shh. I'm right here. Yaibu is right here. No one can hurt you with us around." He pulls him close, laying his head on his shoulder. Yaibu approaches shyly.

    "I know this isn't what you want to hear, but when you wrote that message, his..." He falls silent, but Neo nods his understanding. "It was horrible. He was in worse condition this morning. He's mellowing out a bit. I don't know for how long though." Tears fill his eyes as well.

    "I'm going to get him out of there." He whispers confidently, stroking a hand over his hair, pushing it out of his eyes. A small smile graces his lips, despite the tears still flowing. The slightly smaller male smiles back, kissing his cheek once again. "I really do love you," he mumbles out, laying his head back down, on his chest this time, despite it being uncomfortable. A moment later he pops up, face paling quickly. Yaibu stares at him in confusion. "Get a teacher to call an ambulance. Now." He says, on the verge of shouting, but too worried to do anything above a whisper.

    "Please, keep an eye on him." He responds back, placing his paper bag down and running out. Neo forces Chisk to lay flat on his back, hoping to get him to start breathing again.

"Stay with me. Please. Yaibu is getting help." He strains out, laying his head back on his chest. He breathes a sigh of relief at the faint but steady heartbeat. "You'll be okay. Y-you have to be okay," he murmurs, tears filling his eyes. The slightly larger male loosely wraps his arms around Neo. "Ch-Chisk?" He groans lightly in response. Neo looks to his face, which is scrunched up in pain. "Shh. Put your arms back down, you're going to hurt yourself." He pushes his arms back down carefully, still listening to his heart. "I'm right here. Everything will be okay. I promise. I'll get you away from whoever is beating you. This can't happen again." Yaibu rushes back in, followed by a teacher.

    "Mr. Zeihem! Mr. Dohop, please, let me see his condition." Neo steps away after a moment, albeit reluctantly. She kneels next to him, pressing her hand to his chest. She inspects him for a moment before turning back to the two anxious boys. "It was right of you to come for a teacher, and an ambulance. He is having trouble breathing, but his heart is steady. That's a good sign." They both nod, sniffing softly. The teacher left the room, presumably to make a few phone calls.

    "He won't answer any questions the doctors may have." Yaibu says quietly, wringing the bottom of his shirt. "You may have to help. I-I know who keeps doing this, but there's no proof." The smaller male frowns deeply.

    "What do you mean? It's obvious he's... Being beaten, and the person is careful about where they hit him. Notice how neither of us look like we have bruises? That's because our clothes cover them. A simple accident would not usually cover all of them. A-and trust me, there's a lot..." He hiccups lightly from an attempt to silence a sob. Yaibu knits his brows together sadly.

    "How many? He won't let me see any except for the ones on his stomach." A flash of pain crosses Neo's eyes.

    "Too many to count. At least one hundred." He whispers. They stand there in silence, until some paramedics rush in. They quickly place Chisk on a gurney, rolling him out just as fast. One of the lagging ones turns to them.

    "Would you boys like a ride? I can tell you're both really worried about him." They both nod wordlessly, following him into the ambulance, trying their hardest not to look at Chisk's many bruises that are hindering his breath.


	18. Hospital

    Neo grabs Chick's hand gently, stroking the back of it with his thumb. "When do you think he will wake up?" He asks Yaibu quietly. They are alone in the room, as the doctors had already been in and done what they could. Yaibu shrugs softly, pushing a strand of long blonde hair out of his best friend's face.

    "I really don't know. At least he's breathing better now. I'm glad for that. I was really scared. I thought I was going to lose him." His voice cracks slightly, and Neo pulls him in for a gentle hug. "Thanks," he mumbles out, wrapping his arms around the slightly smaller boy. He, in turn, pets the shaking boy's back reassuringly. "You're nicer than Uro. And more cuddly than it seems like he would be." The petite male chuckles, pulling him closer.

    "Uro is slightly cuddly. I hadn't realized how solid he actually is until just now." Yaibu chokes out a laugh, burying his face in Neo's shirt. "I haven't had much contact like this before, so I thought Uro was the most cuddly person ever. Now I see that was wrong." The larger male giggles for a moment, causing Neo to smile slightly. "I'm glad I can help you cheer up, even if it is just for a moment."

    "What about you? I know you have to be really upset. You just figured out he's your soulmate, and now he's in the hospital." He pauses his words for an instant, debating whether he should say what they are both thinking or not. Ultimately he decides to, but whispers it, just so it may hurt a little less. "Because of something you did. I know you meant no harm, he knows you meant no harm, but his... a person in his life didn't like it. That person doesn't like that Chisk's soulmate is male. He hadn't even told them about his communicating with you." Neo's face contorts in pain. Before he can say anything, Yaibu is speaking once again. "This morning, he told me that he doesn't care if it means his life, he will not let that person take you away from him."

    "I'm ecstatic that he cares so much about me—I feel the same about him—but he shouldn't feel the need to keep something on his arm that is going to get him... in this condition. If I had know, I-" he chokes up. "I never would have written it." A single tear rolls down his left cheek. Yaibu wipes it away gently, smiling faintly at the true feeling behind the smaller's words. He mumbles his thanks, cheeks turning red in embarrassment.

    "He just doesn't like Chisk." He states simply, nearly immediately catching his mistake. He internally panics, but continues on with some random thought before his friend can notice; he hopes. "That person has always had it out for Chisk, it seems. He is so much different from other males, that person doesn't like it. From a young age he's been pushed to be more manly. Of course it hasn't worked, mostly because no one can change who they are that drastically. This person started to... abuse him before he was even ten. I don't know the exact age, as I only met him when he was ten and he refuses to tell me when the beatings started." They both fall silent, and Neo runs the words over in his head; something was different about them.

    "He... You said he." Yaibu shakes his head frantically, trying to take back the simple mistake. Neo quickly turns his head to Chisk, still embracing the largest male in the room a bit. "I-it's not... Your father, is it?" He asks the motionless boy softly, taking both his hand and the now wriggling brunette's hand. "Chisk, please, I'm begging you to wake up. Please. I love you." He lay his head next to his soulmate's hand, squeezing both of the boys' hands tightly. Yaibu sighs sympathetically, taking his best friend's free hand gently to complete the odd circle.

    "You really are something, aren't you, Neo?" The blue eyed male glances up at him questioningly, averting his attention back to Chisk when he grunts quietly a moment later. "You're kind to everyone, but know when someone is pushing too hard, and you always help whoever is in trouble, even if you are fighting against your own best friend." He blushes slightly, referring to Uro's attempts at bullying him for Ava liking him before she turned sixteen and found her soulmate. "You may be small, but you can pack a punch better than most of the more muscular students. You stand up for what you believe in, and won't let anyone get dragged down for doing what they love. In all honesty, I envy you. You aren't afraid of what anyone has to say to you, and if you don't like it you either ignore it if it's about you, or place them on the ground in pain if it's about someone else. Despite your crude actions, you are a really sweet and kind person. I-I'm glad Chisk has you as a soulmate. I know someone can protect him from everything he has to face, and I don't have to be afraid anymore. The entire time I've known him, I have always wondered what I could do to protect him. I'm weak. I know I am. I let everyone push me around, and I try to conform to what people want from me. I don't want to do that anymore. Thank you for breaking me out of my shell, Neo." The smaller boy's cheeks turn crimson at the mini speech. Then, he laughs lightly, shocking Yaibu.

    "You are strong though. How many times has it gotten to this point, where Chisk's health is nowhere near the best it can be, but you kept him alive, without any help? How many times did you confront him about the person beating him, and the need for it to stop? I know it must be a lot. And how many times did you comfort him because of this? You may not be physically or socially strong, but your mental state is so much more advanced than I could ever hope to achieve. I don't have any idea what to do in this situation. When you walked in on me when I found Chisk, I was freaking out. You were so calm, until you saw me. You even had a bag with what I assume is medicine to help him, because you've done it a million times before. I would never have the strength to do anything like that." He bows his head, both boys a blushing mess now.

    "It looks like we envy each other. I never would have thought." They look at each other, bursting out laughing once they make eye contact. "I feel better somehow, getting that off my chest."

    "Yeah. I do too. Thank you." He smiles shyly, tucking a strand of his mahogany hair behind his ear. Somehow they had both let go of the circle in their speeches to each other. Yaibu is about to respond with another heartfelt comment and a thanks, when he snorts softly. "What?" He nearly falls out of his chair, untucking the hair from behind the other's ear and smoothing out the flyaways that had surfaced. "Oh. It does that a lot."

    "I get it. Chisk gets those too. That's why I like my hair short. Nothing can really get away from my head and be too noticeable." He waggles his eyebrows, and they both nearly topple over in their fit of giggles and snorts. All movement in the room ceases a second later, the sound of a flat line deafening both boys.


End file.
